ch^rrie;: ornithology oif the: Orinoco re;gion. 271 



Dendrocolaptes certhia (Boddaert). 

 Piciis certhia Bodd., Tabl. PI. Enl. 1783. p. 38. 

 Dcndrocolaptes certhia Berlepsch & Hartert, p. 68. 



Common on the upper river. Observed from near the mouth of 

 the Meta River up as far as specimens were collected at Malaben, 

 Nericag^ua and Munduapo. 



Berlepsch and Hartert record specimens collected at Suapure, 

 Nicare and La Pricion on the Caura River. 



FORMICARIIDAE— ANT-THRUSHES. 



Berlepsch and Hartert's paper listed forty-two species and sub- 

 species as representatives of sixteen genera. Of that number, the 

 writer collected twenty-eight species and subspecies pertaining to four- 

 teen genera, on the Orinoco proper. 



Fifty-six species and subspecies are included in the present list, and 

 there is no doubt that a good many more will be added to the list as 

 soon as careful collecting will have been done throughout the entire re- 

 gion. 



As was to have been expected, since the Ant-thrushes are 

 chiefly birds of the thick forest, members of this family were not found 

 abundantly either as species or as individuals, until after we had pene- 

 trated to the heavily forested regions of the upper Orinoco. 



In all my experience as a collector, I have learned but little regard- 

 ing the nesting habits of birds of this group and regret to be able to add 

 so little at the present time. 



Key to Genera, Species and Subspecies of Formicariidae. 



a. "Second phalanx of middle toe entirely free from outer toe; acrotarsium 

 more or less distinctly scutellate (at least on inner side). " ' 



b. Posterior edge of planta tarsi rounded (not booted) Rhopoterpetorquata torquata. 



b'. Posterior side of planta tarsi with a sharp edge. 



c. "Nostrils oval or rounded and without operculum (or if present 

 not well developed) or other adjacent soft membrane. " - 

 d. Conspicuously barred above and below. 



e. Crown and occiput uniform black or hazel brown (no white 



bases to crown or occiput feathers) Cyinbilaimus linealus lineatus. 



e' . Crown and occiput black, feathers with white bases d'Thamnophilus dolialns. 



d'. Not conspicuously barred either above or below. 



e. Wing coverts without white tips or other markings (males of 

 T. murinits have nearly obsolete small pale tips to wing 

 coverts', and usually uniform with outer edges of quills. 

 /. Wing more than 65 mm. 



g. Under parts white 9 Taraba major albicrissa. 



^From Ridgway's "Key to the Genera of Formicariidae" Birds of N. and M. Amer. V.: 1911: p. 10. 



2Ridgway 1. c. 



{Cymbilaimus, Pygiptila, Hypolophus, Thamnophilus, Sclateria° Erwnoius, Rhopochares, Dysiihamnus.) 



°Mr. Ridgwayin his "key" to the Formicariidae placed Sclaleria tentatively in the section having the 



second phalanx of the middle toe partly united to the outer toe and the acrotarsium fused, but I find in the 



two forms examined (5. argenlata and S. schistacea saturata) that the second phalanx of the middle toe is 



entirely free from the outer toe and the divisions of the acrotarsium are not obsolete. 



